Android TV Boxes are very fashionable in the city thanks to their low cost and the possibility of using apps and plugins to be able to see multimedia content on TVs without a Smart component or on Smart TVs lacking in terms of apps or features. Most devices support the Android Play Store (the same present on mobile phones) and you can use it to install all the apps we need to be able to see any type of content. If we are new to the world of Android TV Boxes and don't know which apps to try, we have created a must-have list of apps on an Android TV Box, so you can make the most of it. The apps that I will report to you are all free, all you have to do is click on the download link from the TV Box (perhaps by opening the bestresourcesnow.com page from the device browser) to download them. For TV Boxes without Play Store or not configured we will also show you the sites where to download the various APKs, so as to manually install the apps we want to try on the TV Box.
1) Kodi
The quintessential app pre-installed on all Android TV Boxes is Kodi, the famous open source media center that can play content from the Internet, play videos, music and audio saved on a PC or NAS connected to the home network and take advantage of the numerous plugins to add new features (including the possibility to manage IPTV lists).
On many TV Boxes Kodi is a system app and does not receive any type of update from the Play Store; in order to always have the latest version of the media center we recommend uninstalling the version of Kodi present on the TV Box (the menu to be used is identical to what we can find on an Android smartphone, i.e. Settings -> Apps -> select Kodi -> Uninstall) and to install the version provided by the Play Store, which can be downloaded for free from here -> Kodi.
From now on we will always have the latest version of Kodi installed on the TV Box and automatically updated from the Play Store.
If our TV Box doesn't have the Play Store or we don't want to log in, we can download the Kodi APK file from here -> Kodi APK.
2) MX Player
Many apps capable of managing Internet streams require a dedicated video player to play content; it will ask us when opening these apps or when playing a network stream.
The best video player that we can install on a TV Box is definitely MX Player, downloadable from the Play Store here -> MX Player.
This video player takes advantage of the CPUs present on the various TV Boxes very well, thus obtaining hardware decoding (on various levels) and thus being able to play any video without jerks, without artifacts and at the highest quality available (necessary if we play content on the TV, where the artifacts are much more evident).
For network streams it is sufficient to install the app to have support for the main codecs used; if we want to use MX Player to read a local video file we recommend installing the additional codec, so as to obtain support for AC-3 and other codecs widely used in movie ripping; the additional codec we can download from here -> MX Player Codec.
If our TV Box does not have the Play Store or we do not want to log in, the necessary files can be downloaded in APK format from here -> MX Player APK e MX Player Codec APK.
3) Plex
Another very useful app that we can use as an alternative to Kodi is Plex, downloadable from the Play Store using the link here -> Plex.
Once the server is installed on a PC or NAS, we will be able to access our collection of videos, TV series and music saved on the hard disk simply by using the Plex app, so as to play them at the highest quality on TV.
A complete guide on how to use Plex can be found here -> Complete guide to Plex, the media player with active transcoding.
If we need the APK for this app, we can download it for free from here -> Plex APK.
4) LocalCast for Chromecast
With this app we will be able to connect the TV Box to any Chromecast present on the network (perhaps positioned in another room and on another TV) in order to send the multimedia streams and contents present on the network without going through the smartphone or PC. We can download the app for free from the Play Store using the link here -> LocalCast for Chromecast.
Once downloaded it will be sufficient to select LocalCast among the video players when requested by the flow management apps instead of MX Player, so as to open the stream directly on the Chromecast and continue watching from another TV.
If we do not want to access the Play Store or the latter is not present on the TV Box we can download the APK of the app from here -> LocalCast for Chromecast APK.
5) DroidMote
This app is really essential on every self-respecting Android TV Box, since it allows you to remotely control the commands using any Android smartphone or tablet. To be able to take advantage of it, we must first of all make sure that root permissions are present on the TV Box; to do this, just download the app here -> Root Checker.
Once we have confirmed the root permissions, we can buy (unfortunately it is paid, but it is really essential we recommend the expense) the DroidMote server for the TV Box from here -> DroidMote Server (2,89 €).
Once the server app is installed, let's start it and confirm the root permissions for it, so that we can control every aspect of the TV Box remotely.
Now let's go to any Android smartphone or tablet connected to the same home network where the TV Box is present and download the DroidMote client app for free from here -> DroidMote Client.
Let's open this last app, start the search for the server and connect to the one detectable on the TV Box.
Now we will have full control over the TV Box, with the ability to use the smartphone as a smart remote control or as a touchpad to move the TV Box cursor. Unfortunately to be able to make the purchase you need to access the Play Store, we cannot limit ourselves to downloading APKs.
6) Brave Browser
A good browser to be able to surf the Internet from the TV Box avoiding unwanted content and windows that open suddenly is Brave Browser, downloadable from the Play Store using the following link -> Brave Browser.
Once installed we will get the speed of the Google Chrome browser (on which the app's source code is based) with the control of unwanted content, without having to install any addon or extension. We recommend the use of this browser to watch video content on the web, thanks to the maximum compatibility obtainable from the Chrome components present within the browser.
If we don't have access to the Play Store, we can download the APK of the app in question from here -> Brave Browser APK.
7) DLNAServer
If we want to transform our TV Box into a DLNA server for all other devices on the network (Smart TV, TV, PC, decoder, other TV Box etc.) we can use the app DLNAServer, downloadable for free from here -> DLNAServer.
Once installed on the TV Box, simply indicate the folders of the device to be indexed and made available on the home network via the DLNA protocol. For example, we can connect an external hard drive via USB port to the TV Box and use this app to make multimedia contents available to any compatible device on a LAN or WiFi network.
If we don't have access to the Play Store we can download the app's APK from here -> DLNAServer APK.
The list goes on with the Best apps for Smart TV Samsung, LG and Android
The best apps to have on Android TV Box
